Auxiliary calking flange for tunnel lining joints



M. RIBBLE 2,160,342

AUXILIARY CALKING FLANGE FOR TUNNEL LINING JOINTS Filed Aug. 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jabzz M .fi'ibble MaIy30, 1939. IJ.IM.\RIBBLEI N 2,160,342

AUXILIARY GALKING FLANGE FOR TUNNEL LINING JOINTS 7 Filed Aug. 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M27171? M E2719]:

Patented May 30, 1939 TA.- TES or ies John Marshall Ribble, Petersburg Va.

Application August: 15,.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to adjunctive calking The; general practice in building, atunnel is to.

line the ,hole progressively as the excavation proceeds, quite up to the heading or end of the excavation, with a line of light steel rectangular plates. flanged inwardly on all four sides, said plates having the curvature of the circumference 10, of the tunnel, being placed in position as the excavation proceeds with their flanges in abutment, andbeing bolted together through the flanges.-

The concrete lining which supplements the steel plate lining. is usually kept at some distance back of the heading sothat the workmen and apparatus associated with the pouring of the concrete willnot be in the way of the men and apparatus employed in the excavation at the heading.

Thus between the heading and the concrete, there will be found a length of from 100 to 300 feet, for example, of exposed steel lining with the bolted together flanged joints. It is generally necessary to maintain the air in the. tunnel while under construction, at apre- 95, sure sufiiciently above atmosphere tokeep ground water out of the tunnel. The joints between the steel lining plates provide a. fruitful avenue for the-escape of the compressed air from the tunnel so that an extravagant amount of power may be.

required to maintain the necessary air pressure.

The present invention has for its object the provision of auxiliary thin flanges adapted to be applied to the opposite sides of the flanged joints,

of the steel lining plates after the latter have been bolted in place, and extending beyond the edgesof said flanged joints forming a channel in whichcalking compound may be inserted for sealing-the joints against air leakage.

Inasmuch as the curvature of the plates lining the tunnel is frequently distorted by the outside load which they support, it is therefore an object of the invention to make the auxiliary calking flanges of such thinness or quality of material that they can be bent or sprung somewhat from 4 5 their normal shape to conform to the curvature of.

the plates to which they are attached.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary calking flange so constructed thatit may be quickly attached-merely by'loosening the bolts which secure the plates, but without removingsaid bolts.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the-following description ofa preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

' In; the; drawings which. accompany; and: form. a.

1938; Scrial No., 225.0411.

part of; the following specification and.:thr.oughouti the several; figures .of; which: the-samecharacters; of reference: have: beenv employed; to: designate: identical parts:-

Eigure is a. verticalzsection through: a tunnel-L illustrating :the employmentzofitheiauxiliary 'c-allning flanges of: the; present: invention;

Figure 2. is: across:sectionxthroughlthe j ointtbe tween ,twolining p1ates.-:and:the= auxiliary;calltingzflanges Figure; 3..-is a:.fragmentary::viewin? elevationzil-e lustratingthegconstructioniofione-of :thesaux-iliary: calking: flanges;

Figure; 4 is a; cross; section. through. a jjointt showings. modified form of:the:invention;

Figure 5;is a-perspective view.=of:.one ofthe steel; lining; plates;

Figurefiis ,zaview similartodiigure 2.;and;showss. a modified form; of fcalking flange;

Figure '7- is: a. perspective; view: of: the; calking; flange. illustrated: in Figure 2 6 Figure-8is a: cross section: through a.joint;b.e*=- tween two: lining. platesv showing; a: further: modie fiedaform; of :auxiliary calking; flange; andi Figure 9' is; a perspective view:-of: the; calk-ingxz, fiangeshown in Eigure;8..

Referring, now; in: detail to; the; several.- the numeral! representsa.tun'neliexcavatedlupzztm the heading zwhichisof: earth or;rock;.theztunnell beingdined: ass faras the headingzwithaaliningzofl" light. gauge. plates; 3., In:thezposteriorrportiom off the tunnel the platesforming;thezsteel;lininmares embeddedgin a concrete lining; 4'; It ;will;b,egnotedz that thesteellining, is. exposed for quite: as dise tance from the heading to the concrete linecb 51 portion of; the tunnel, this:beingiorrazreasonzthat has been explainedini-the prefatory:paragraphstoir the specification.

The steelz-plates 3: areeachlarcuate; inzthezciie cumferential, direction:of:the.:tunneliandirectiline 49 can in: the longitudinal direction. each: being: formed with: inwardly extending-rfianges; 5 along their four sides;the.; corners ofzthegfiangesabeing-i: preferably welded; together; asg-indicatedz at: 63 im Figure 5, in the interest. of rigidity; Thezplatesztaz. are preferably arranged-.inrstaggered: relatiomand secured, together both along: their: arcuater: and: straight sides-bymea-nsrof bolts 1:.passi-ng throught apertures 8- in said flanges; andgnuts: 9; which-are? tightened against: the. flanges:

As 1 has been stated in: the .earlxtportioni ofLfthe-s specification; there may be? ailength': me. from; 1amto 300 feet of exposed;steelilining:representing many hundred: feet": of? juncture. between; the flanges whichiorms amajorg;sourceifonrleakagcrofi.55a

the compressed air with which the tunnel is charged for the purpose of keeping ground water out of the tunnel. The additional power required to produce air pressure to off-set this leakage is great so that in the interest of economy it would be highly desirable to calk the joints between the flanges to prevent this air leakage. However, due to the thinness of gauge of the plates which is as a rule only or a quarter inch, the adjacent ends It and II of abutting flanges do not aflord large enough area for the lodgment of enough calking compound to be effective. Consequently, as a rule, the joints are left uncalked. I

The adjunctive calking flange forming the subject of the present invention consists, in that embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 33, inclusive, of a strip I2 of thin material preferably having one longitudinal edge crimped to form a channel I3. The opposite longitudinal edge of the strip I2 is preferably formed at proper intervals with recesses l4 adapted to straddle the bolt shanks when the nuts 9 are backed ofl sufficiently to permit the insertion of the adjunctive calking flange between said nuts and the adjacent face of the flange 5. The width of the recesses I4 is preferably just suflicient to permit the bolt shanks to freely enter, so that when the nuts are screwed down again, they will clamp the auxiliary calking flanges in place. There is preferably enough tolerance between the edges of the recesses l4 and the bolts to permit the auxiliary calking flanges to be shifted laterally of said recesses as well as in the depthwise direction with respect to the flanges 5, and the material of which the strip I2 is made should be capable of bending or springing so that it may be accommodated in shape to any deformation which may take place in the curvature of the plates 3. Figure 2 shows that when two of the auxiliary calking flanges are in place on opposite sides of two abutting flanges, the re-entrant sides of the channels I3 confront one another forming a trough to receive the calking compound. Preferably, the auxiliary calking flanges extend a slight distance below the ends I!) and II of the flanges 5 as is indicated at I5 in- Figure 2 to increase the depth of the calking trough I6- and increase the length of theleakage path between the-calking plastic and the joint. It is of course not essential that the extra depth should be thus provided. The calking compound which customarily is of a tarry or bituminous nature is applied by means of a trowel or other suitable tool, the calking trough being preferably filled.-

The auxiliary calking flanges are easily installed, itbeing unnecessary to remove any of the bolts and they may be left in place to be embeddedin the concrete lining. On'account of their light and flexible nature, they are economical, as regards cost to manufacture, and adaptable to any curvature. As a rule however, they come in two shapes, some rectilinear and some having the same curvature as the original curvature of the plates with which they are to be used.

The shape of the channels i3 is quite immaterial, in fact, it is sometimes desirable and sufflcient to dispense with the channels I3, and by installing the auxiliary calking flanges in pro- .jecting relation as regards the ends I8 and II of to add any structural stability to the lining plates or their flanges, but are provided for the sole purpose of forming a calking channel over the joint between abutting plates.

Figure 4 shows a slightly modified form of the invention in which the plates I! are themselves integrally formed with the calking channels I3.

In that form of the invention illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the auxiliary calking flanges take the form of a unit ll of general U-shaped cross section having the side flanges I8 and I9, spaced apart in substantially parallel relation and at such distance as to snugly embrace the abutting flanges I0 and II of adjacent plates 3. The bight or bend 20 of the unit preferably has a diameter greater than the distance apart of the side flanges I8 and I9 so as to afford a calking trough or channel of adequate size to embed the ends of the abutting flanges and to seal the joint. Figure 6 shows that the bight or bend 20 is adapted to be filled with the calking compound, represented by the reference character 2|. The unit is then pushed over the abutting flanges with the indentations I4 straddling the shank of the bolt 8, it being assumed that the nut has been backed off sufficiently to permit the side flanges to slide between the bolt head and the nut and the intervening flanges. The auxiliary calking flange unit is preferably pressed upward until the ends of the abutting flanges are buried to some distance in the calking compound so as to increase the leakage path between the calking compound and the joint. By tightening the nut 9, the calking flange unit may be secured in place.

Figures 8 and 9 show a further modified form of the invention in which the bolts which secure the adjacent plate flanges together are not relied upon to hold the auxiliary calking flange unit in place. In this form of the invention, the auxiliary calking flange unit comprises a resilient sheet metal member having the side flanges 22 and 23 connected by the bight portion 24 of the unit. The resiliency may reside either in the side flanges or solely in the bight portion. In any While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the details of construction and the shape of the auxiliary flanges may be varied to suit the exigencies of the particular use to which they may be applied.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a tunnel lining consisting of a plurality of flanged plates with the flanges of adjacent plates abutting forming a linear joint, auxiliary calking means adapted to be clamped along the opposite sides of said abutting flanges and extending beyond the tops of said flanges, the extending part of said means being shaped to define a calking-receiving channel.

2. In combination with a tunnel lining consisting of a plurality of flanged plates with the flanges of said plates abutting forming a linear 15 joint, an auxiliary calking flange unit comprising a doubled strip of sheet material of deep U- shaped cross section having its opposite sides embracing abutting plate flanges, and having its bight forming a calking compound-receiving trough into which the ends of the abutting plate flanges enter when the calking flange unit is in place.

3. In combination with a tunnel lining consisting of a plurality of flanged plates with the flanges of said plates abutting forming a linear joint, an auxiliary calking flange unit comprising a doubled strip of sheet material of deep U- shaped cross section having its opposite sides embracing abutting plate flanges and having its bight forming a calking compound-receiving trough into which the ends of the abutting plate flanges enter when the calking flange unit is in place, the sides of said unit having notches indented from the free edges of said sides adapted to straddle the bolts which secure the plate flanges together, whereby said auxiliary calking flanges may be secured between the heads and nuts of said bolts.

4. In combination with a tunnel lining consisting of a plurality of flanged plates with the flanges of said plates abutting forming a linear joint, an auxiliary calking flange unit comprising a doubled strip of resilient sheet material of deep U-shaped cross section having its opposite sides resiliently embracing said abutting plate flanges for holding said auxiliary calking flange unit in place, said unit having its bight forming a calking compound-receiving trough into which the ends of the abutting plate flanges extend when said calking flange unit is in position.

5. Auxiliary calking flange comprising a deformable sheet metal strip adapted to be placed in duplicate along opposite sides of the abutting flanges of tunnel lining plates, said strip having an opening adapted to be aligned with a bolt which passes through the abutting flanges of said lining plates whereby said strip may be secured to said abutting flanges, the outer margin of said strip being formed with a channel adapted to extend beyond the tops of said abutting flanges, and the margins of the strips when they are arranged in duplicate on opposite sides of said abutting flanges cooperating to define a calking trough over the linear joint between said abutting flanges.

6. Auxiliary calking flange comprising a deformable strip of sheet metal having an indentation in one longitudinal edge adapted to be aligned with and receive a bolt which secures in abutting relation the adjacent flanges of adjacently placed tunnel lining plates, the auxiliary calking flange being adapted to be clamped in duplicate to the opposite sides of said abutting plate flanges by a bolt and nut which holds said plate flanges together, the outer margin of said strip being formed with a channel adapted to match with the corresponding channel of the oppositely disposed auxiliary calking flange when they are arranged in duplicate on opposite sides of said abutting flanges to form a calking trough over the linear joint between said abutting flanges.

JOHN MARSHALL RlBBLE. 

